PORT TOWNSEND — Port Townsend Bay beaches have been closed for recreational shellfish harvesting due to high paralytic shellfish poison levels in samples sent to the state Department of Health.
In Jefferson County, closures also are in effect for:
• Discovery Bay, including the northern Quimper Peninsula around to Point Hudson.
• Admiralty Inlet and East Marrowstone Island.
• Kilisut Harbor, including Mystery Bay and Fort Flagler State Park.
• Oak Bay, Mats Mats Bay and Port Ludlow.
In Clallam County, closures are in effect for:
• The Strait of Juan de Fuca, from Cape Flattery to the Jefferson County line.
• Sequim Bay.
• Coastal beaches.
Testing of shellfish from Quilcene Bay and Dabob Bay revealed safe levels of paralytic shellfish poison, so those areas have been reopened.
Paralytic shellfish poison is a biotoxin released by the marine plankton Alexandrium. Shellfish eat the plankton and the biotoxin can accumulate in their meat.
Symptoms of paralytic shellfish poisoning, which can appear within minutes or hours, include tingling of the lips, tongue, hands and feet, followed by difficulty breathing and paralysis.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning can be fatal. People experiencing these symptoms after consuming shellfish should call 911. The heat-stable toxin is not destroyed by cooking or freezing.
Recreational shellfish includes clams, geoduck, oysters, mussels and other invertebrate species such as moon snail.
Butter and varnish clams retain the toxin for up to a year, which is why they often remain closed longer than other species.
Crabmeat does not retain the biotoxin, but it can be present in crab guts and butter, the white-yellow fat inside the back of the shell, so they should be thoroughly cleaned, and the crab butter and guts should be discarded.
For more information, call the Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 or visit www.doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety.htm.
